Attenuated phase-shift photomasks, method of fabricating the same and method of fabricating semiconductor using the same

Abstract

A method of fabricating an attenuated phase-shift photomask includes forming a phase-shift material layer on a photomask substrate, forming a light opaque layer on the phase-shift material layer, forming a first resist pattern on the light opaque layer to selectively expose a pattern region, etching the light opaque layer using the first resist pattern as an etch mask, such that a first light opaque pattern layer is formed to selectively expose the phase-shift material layer, removing the first resist pattern, forming a second resist pattern on the light opaque layer, such that a cell pattern block in the pattern region is selectively exposed, and etching the exposed phase-shift material layer using the first light opaque pattern layer as an etch mask to form a phase-shift material pattern layer selectively exposing a top surface of the photomask substrate.

1 . A method of fabricating an attenuated phase-shift photomask, comprising:
 forming a phase-shift material layer on a photomask substrate;   forming a light opaque layer on the phase-shift material layer;   forming a first resist pattern on the light opaque layer to selectively expose a pattern region;   etching the light opaque layer exposed in the pattern region using the first resist pattern as an etch mask, such that a first light opaque pattern layer is formed to selectively expose the phase-shift material layer;   removing the first resist pattern;   forming a second resist pattern on the light opaque layer, the first light opaque pattern layer, and the selectively exposed phase-shift material layer, such that a cell pattern block in the pattern region is selectively exposed;   etching the selectively exposed phase-shift material layer using the first light opaque pattern layer as an etch mask to form a phase-shift material pattern layer selectively exposing a top surface of the photomask substrate; and   removing the second resist pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising, after removing the second resist pattern, removing the first light opaque pattern layer from the pattern region to form a second light opaque pattern layer outside the pattern region. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein forming the second light opaque pattern layer includes:
 forming a third resist pattern on the first light opaque pattern layer, such that the pattern region is exposed; and   removing the first light opaque pattern layer exposed in the pattern region using the third resist pattern as an etch mask.   
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising removing the first light opaque pattern layer from the cell pattern block to form a third light opaque pattern layer. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein removing the first light opaque pattern layer from the cell pattern block includes removing the first light opaque pattern layer exposed in the cell pattern block using the second resist pattern as an etch mask. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pattern region is formed on the photomask substrate to include a rim region surrounding the cell pattern block, the rim region being formed between a boundary line of the pattern region and a boundary line of the cell pattern block to surround the cell pattern block in a rim type. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein:
 etching the light opaque layer includes removing portions of the light opaque layer from the rim region to expose the phase-shift material layer, and   forming the second resist pattern includes covering the phase-shift material layer in the rim region, such that the rim region includes the phase-shift material pattern layer.   
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the rim region is formed to have a width of about 200 μm to about 500 μm. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming a resist pattern exposing a peripheral region, the peripheral region being in the pattern region and having a boundary line between a boundary line of the pattern region and a boundary line of the cell pattern block; and   removing the first light opaque pattern layer from the peripheral region.   
     
     
         10 . A method of fabricating a semiconductor, comprising:
 loading a wafer into a photolithography system having an attenuated phase-shift photomask, the wafer having a material layer and a photoresist layer thereon;   irradiating the photoresist layer using UV light;   developing the photoresist layer to form a photoresist pattern;   patterning the material layer to form a material pattern using the photoresist pattern as a patterning mask;   removing the photoresist pattern; and   cleaning the wafer,   wherein the attenuated phase-shift photomask is fabricated by a method including:
 forming a phase-shift material layer on a photomask substrate, 
 forming a light opaque layer on the phase-shift material layer, 
 forming a first resist pattern on the light opaque layer to selectively expose a pattern region, 
 etching the light opaque layer exposed in the pattern region using the first resist pattern as an etch mask, such that a first light opaque pattern layer is formed to selectively expose the phase-shift material layer, 
 removing the first resist pattern, 
 forming a second resist pattern on the light opaque layer, the first light opaque pattern layer, and the selectively exposed phase-shift material layer, such that a cell pattern block in the pattern region is selectively exposed, 
 etching the selectively exposed phase-shift material layer using the first light opaque pattern layer as an etch mask to form a phase-shift material pattern layer selectively exposing a top surface of the photomask substrate, and 
 removing the second resist pattern. 
   
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An attenuated phase-shift photomask, comprising:
 a phase-shift pattern layer disposed on a photomask substrate,   wherein the phase-shift pattern layer includes a pattern region and an opaque region at an edge of the pattern region, the pattern region including a cell pattern block having optical patterns, a rim region surrounding the cell pattern block in a rim type, and a peripheral region surrounding the rim region, and   wherein the rim region does not include optical patterns.   
     
     
         13 . The attenuated phase-shift photomask as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the optical patterns are only in the cell pattern block of the phase-shift pattern layer. 
     
     
         14 . The attenuated phase-shift photomask as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising a light opaque pattern layer in the opaque region. 
     
     
         15 . The attenuated phase-shift photomask as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the cell pattern block and the rim region do not include the light opaque pattern layer. 
     
     
         16 . The attenuated phase-shift photomask as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the rim region has a width of about 200 μm to about 500 μm. 
     
     
         17 . The attenuated phase-shift photomask as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the peripheral region selectively includes a portion of the light opaque pattern layer.